Chen Daqiang shook his head, "Don't recognize them. Said they were from Xiao Family Town."
"The one in the lead said he was a doctor from which pharmacy."
A doctor?
From Xiao Family Town?
Upon hearing Chen Daqiang's account, Chen Xiaobei couldn't help but frown.
Logically, it was normal for a doctor to go up the mountain to collect herbs.
But for someone to travel dozens of miles from Xiao Family Town to collect herbs, and to do so with over a dozen people making a grand display on the mountain, that was not normal.
However, thinking about the Liu family people also being on the mountain, he wondered what interesting things might happen if these two groups met.
Just then, a few muffled thunderclaps echoed from a distance. Chen Xiaobei frowned.
According to Cui Yong, it wasn't supposed to rain this season. Why was there suddenly thunder?
Indeed, it was thundering. Dark clouds gathered on the horizon and seemed to be moving in their direction. The village quickly became busy.
Chen Dachun and the others had already started drying their grain and were now busy packing it into sacks. The villagers, with their spirit of mutual aid, lent a hand if they had free time.
Chen Xiaobei naturally couldn't stand by either. Just as Chen Dachun finished moving the grain back into the house, rain the size of beans began to fall.
Separated by only a wall from Dachun's house, Chen Xiaobei ran home, already soaked, which showed how heavy the rain was.
Chen Xiaobei was secretly shocked. He had been here for so long and hadn't seen such heavy rain throughout the entire summer.
The person most unhappy about the rain was Chen Qiao'er, because she couldn't play outside. So, she had no choice but to light a lamp and do her homework.
Cui Hongyu, under the lamplight, began to busy herself with embroidery. She was working on a pair of mandarin ducks in flowing water, almost finished. Seeing this, Chen Xiaobei suddenly remembered that some time ago, many people had expressed interest in learning embroidery.
"Hongyu, didn't many people want to learn embroidery from you a while back? Are there still people coming?"
Hearing his question, Cui Hongyu couldn't help but chuckle.
"Alas, embroidery, how to put it. It's fine to learn a little after one is fed and clothed. Now, the villagers are all busy with the soil and their crops. Those who truly want to learn don't have the time. When they said that, it was just an excuse."
It made sense. Embroidery was something for noble young ladies in ancient times. Moreover, as the saying goes, "When one is full and warm, one thinks of carnal pleasures." With the villagers struggling to even get enough food, who would learn embroidery?
He thought about how he had advised Cui Hongyu to take on a couple of apprentices not long ago. Now, he realized he had been too hasty.
Unknowingly, the second watch had passed. It was time to sleep. The rain outside seemed to have lessened a bit.
Chen Xiaobei turned to look at Cui Hongyu, who was still busy, "Hongyu, let's sleep."
Hearing his words, Cui Hongyu's face flushed slightly. She glanced at Chen Qiao'er, who was already asleep.
Seeing Cui Hongyu's gesture, Chen Xiaobei couldn't help but rejoice inwardly.
She understood his hint immediately. She was teachable!
Following the wind and rain, she stood up, holding the oil lamp, and followed Chen Xiaobei back to their room.
As soon as they entered the room, Chen Xiaobei eagerly reached out, but was stopped by Cui Hongyu.
"Husband, don't be in such a hurry. You must let me put down the oil lamp first."
Chen Xiaobei smiled, took the oil lamp, blew it out in one breath, placed it on the table, and then swept Cui Hongyu into his arms.
Outside, there was a gentle breeze and fine rain. Inside, there was a storm. The wind was a different wind, and the rain was a different rain.
There was also clouds in the room.
Clouds, rain.
...
The next morning, Chen Xiaobei was woken by the barking of dogs.
Through the faint dawn light outside the window, he looked at Cui Hongyu sleeping in his arms and couldn't hold back any longer.
He wrapped his arms around Cui Hongyu's neck, flipped over, and brought her onto his body.
Cui Hongyu, who had been in a deep sleep, instantly opened her eyes.
Seeing Chen Xiaobei face-to-face, so close, she shyly closed her eyes.
Chen Xiaobei's "wicked" hands were about to act when Cui Hongyu quickly pressed them down, "It's dawn. Qiao'er will wake up soon."
Chen Xiaobei sighed.
Alas.
Seeing his disappointed expression, Cui Hongyu gently comforted him, "Husband, don't be anxious. It will be fine once we move to the new house."
Yes, once they moved to the new house, with doors on every room, his room would be separated from Chen Qiao'er's room by at least two doors. Then, he could have his fun.
At this moment, the dogs barked again outside. Cui Hongyu slid off Chen Xiaobei.
Chen Xiaobei inwardly praised Cui Hongyu for her intelligence. She knew that listening to the dog's barking, he would likely go out to investigate.
The rain had stopped outside, and the ground was muddy. Chen Xiaobei walked to the courtyard entrance and looked around. Behind his house, there were several people.
Upon closer inspection, they were indeed from the Liu family.
The group were supporting each other, walking slowly.
Seeing this, Chen Xiaobei hurried to meet them.
As soon as they saw Chen Xiaobei, they eagerly said, "Xiaobei, Village Head, there are people, people have gone up the mountain."
Chen Xiaobei knew that people were going up the mountain; Chen Daqiang had told him yesterday.
However, the Liu family's concern was somewhat unexpected. Of course, what was even more unexpected was their dishevelled state.
"Why do you look like this?"
They gave a bitter smile, "Alas, ordered by Commander Ma, we came down the mountain overnight to deliver a message. We were drenched the whole way, and it's really cold on the mountain."
"It rained on Qingniu Mountain too?" Chen Xiaobei asked subconsciously.
"Yes, and it was heavy. The rain poured down."
After saying that, they walked away as if it were their own business.
Chen Xiaobei's mind went back to Cui Yong's words. That kid was truly a reverse prophet. Just as he said it wouldn't rain, such a heavy downpour occurred to prove him wrong.
Chen Xiaobei strolled forward. After such heavy rain, he needed to check on his vegetable patch and fish pond.
The vegetable patch seemed fine, just some waterlogging.
However, when he arrived at the fish pond, Chen Xiaobei frowned.
It hadn't rained this heavily for months throughout the summer.
The fish pond relied on the river to replenish its water level from time to time.
Today's rain was too heavy. The water flowing down from the mountain, apart from flowing into the river, also entered the fish pond through winding gullies. The water level in the pond was now almost level with the bank.
Chen Xiaobei recalled what the Liu family had said earlier: it had rained heavily on the mountain too.
And now, only a small amount of water was flowing into his fish pond, with most of it going into the river. But he still needed to be fully prepared.
Chen Xiaobei followed the small path all the way to the foot of Qingniu Mountain. He passed the checkpoint set up by the village guard team. Further ahead, the road was pitted.
These potholes were now filled with water, which was continuously flowing into the river.
From here, there was a fork. Some water flowed along a small gully, winding its way down and eventually into his pond.
This was the crucial point.
For months, there hadn't been any heavy rain, and Chen Xiaobei had overlooked this problem.
If the mountain were to experience a flood, especially if the deep gully where he picked fishwort were to collect floodwaters, the momentum would be terrifying.
At that time, let alone his fish pond, Chen Xiaobei looked about a mile away at his vegetable garden and his old houses.